Black Friday: Quality Vs Quantity

Sale, Sale, Sale!

Everybody loves a bargain and Black Friday certainly promises plenty. You might not be reading this until Saturday being so busy grabbing the deals, finding your car or some form of transportation to get back home or relishing your purchases. Or, you might be at a doctor’s office getting your bruises, and I hope that is all they were, taken care of.

Black Friday is not something any member of my household has every participated in – not in the store or on-line. Bargain or not, we are not thrill seekers or ever had $300+ in any major currency to spend on high-priced designer or luxury items on one shopping venture. That is reported as the average (least) most will be shelling out today. Watching the television as the drama unfolds each year, I shake my head in amazement at the lengths and stress that people put themselves through to get these items on Black Friday. They are willing to get caught in the trap retailers have set for them, just like rats and any other creatures that predators hunt. They are willing to be pushed, shoved and/or attack their fellow human beings to spend their hard-earned cash, rather to put their money in the pockets of retailers who profit from the mayhem.

Living For Black Friday

And this comes the day after many of these same people sat at Thanksgiving tables, piously grateful for what Life has given them. Or were they? How grateful can you be while you are busily scanning the advertisements, marking the items you are going into battle to get your hands on?

Did you go out?

The intention is not to criticize or judge you or anyone else who find Black Friday sales a fun activity, a time to get luxury items at prices you would not normally be able to buy. My thoughts went to this as I reviewed the statistics of the most visited posts since November 20. Black Friday and our roundup came together in my thoughts about Thanksgiving and what it meant for you as you visited with us, read our posts on family, sharing and traditions. Quality and quantity – are they mutually exclusive or can you lead a quality, wonder-filled life, expressing your gratefulness in ways that touch the people you meet while amassing stuff?

Asking that question, the first person who came to my mind was Oprah. She has demonstrated more than anyone else how quality and quantity can come together to touch the lives of those around you. The question is: “Does she leave her grateful stance on Thanksgiving to go to war with fellow human beings on Black Friday?” Something tells me she does not. When you think about your most admired “wealthy” person, can you see them waiting from the crack of dawn to trample others to get their hands on designer items at so-called bargain prices? I think not.

Black Friday became a part of the American culture sometime in the 1980’s and refers to the time of year when retailers finally get out of the red (losses) and progress to the black ink (profits) in their ledgers. Unfortunately, as time progressed, consumers are the ones left in the red – physically as some are crushed in stores or financially as they put themselves in deeper debt to grab these bargains. This culture of shopping insanity for quantity has robbed Thanksgiving in many homes of its quality.

Best of The Week

These past seven days, you our readers showed keen interest in the latter – quality of life, family and interaction with Life. You made:

Who Is Your Family was the most visited article over the past seven days and it was our last roundup post. It was a precursor to the week that, like Black Friday, is increasingly being recognised in many parts of the world as a time to give thanks for what is usually the most precious relationship in our experiences. The value of quality familial relationships cannot be equated to any quantity of purchases you could make on Black Friday, Cyber Monday or any other gimmickry day retailers can contrive. “Families are made in the heart,” not in the minds or in the quantity of stuff your money can buy. Check out that article and share your thoughts with me on that basic theme in the comments below it or here.

Contributor Robert Turner returned to us this week and brought with him a story of how he would be spending his Thanksgiving. Nowhere in that post did he say that he was hitting the malls to do battle for luxury items at rock bottom prices. Instead, he told us about the women who would share his family’s Thanksgiving table, having a few bottles of beer with his buddies, catching a movie with his grown children and basically spending quality time being grateful with those people he is most thankful to have as part of his journey. You made Thanksgiving – A Day To Share the second most visited article and if you missed it or would like to read again how life can be enjoyed without a massive quantity of stuff, read it here.

We opened our hearts to receive the blessings that this time of year has to offer with Thanksgiving Week Special. You joined us and made it the third most visited post of the past seven days. In that post, I shared with you my thoughts on the difference between being thankful and grateful. As I listen to the reports of Black Friday shopping mayhem, I see many people showing how thankful they are to have money – either their own or access to credit – to stand in line for hours and spend on items they would not normally be able to afford. A feeling of gratefulness washed over me sitting here typing this post, looking through a C$1.00 pair of reading glasses that I bought yesterday. My first of two eye surgeries went extremely well and the surgeon told me my vision is now 20/20 – at least in the right eye. No amount of luxury items could equate to the joy that I am feeling being able to do this Roundup post, having had a surgery that costs thousands of dollars that I did not have to pay as I am Canadian and live in this country where most healthcare costs are covered by our taxes. Would I love some luxury items? Not necessarily because Life has taught me the lesson of enjoying and embracing its simplicity. Read that post here and share with me what have you learned about quality versus quantity in life.

Now, if Black Friday is your thing and you went out today and made your purchases, returning home without causing harm or having any done to you – then good for you! For the rest of us who stayed home or went to work to earn some money to pay for those things that are most important for our quality of life, may your day and the rest of this Thanksgiving week be bountiful – in Love and peace.

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35 thoughts on “Black Friday: Quality Vs Quantity”

[…] tired of hearing this from me soon, November was a good month as well. Although some went crazy on Black Friday and behaved horribly towards their fellow citizens as they did battle to get bargains, during […]

[…] as today is also Giving Tuesday an is a great way to shift our perspective back (after all the Black Friday mayhem) to what the season just ending, Thanksgiving, and the one that is about to begin are really […]

So glad your eye surgery went well. I did go out on Black Friday, but more as tradition than anything. I never get the big ticket items. I just get a few toys for the boys and I was really excited to find a great deal on an electric toothbrush for my mom. Hope you had a wonderful weekend.

I don’t do Black Friday and never have. However, I know there are lots of people that do and have a great time with friends or family members and really look forward to it. I do agree with you that Black Friday has taken something special away from the Thanksgiving holiday. At least in my mind.

Thanks for dropping by Pam and sharing your thoughts. My basic point is being able to find a balance. Watching the reports from many of these places in the States, the chaos and mayhem really dilutes the Thanksgiving spirit. 🙁

Can’t really deny that Black Friday has good deals, but I was never the one who would actually go and fall in line in the wee hours of the morning and have a riot with fellow shoppers. I definitely enjoyed the articles this week, I love the Who is your family post, I can relate to it so much.

Black Friday is a day many people assumed they would save on big-ticket items. I felt like coupon shopping it was easy to get caught up looking for a bargain easy to take it to extreme. There has to be a balance

I live in the Uk and Black friday has only really started happening here the last few years. I love a good bargain, but will not go to extremes to get one. I have seen loads of sales and offers on the internet though,

i went black friday shopping last night and it was the most peaceful thing. everyone was so patient and kind and there was no madness at all. i spent the day with my grandpa who is my only family in the area and I love shopping so when he went to bed I went out shopping. for me it was perfect as i was not picking shopping over anything other than sitting at home alone.

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Very easy to meet and even easier to talk with. Have traveled so many roads on this journey called Life and can help you face any life challenge. Trained spiritual coach and multifaith chaplain. Let's talk and start getting you back on track with some practical tips for real people.

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